YOUNGSTERS at Chadsgrove School were delighted to welcome some renowned giant wooden slugs which found fame on the 2025 BBC Gardeners’ World Live.
It came about when Abi Garvey, a teaching assistant at the school, undertook some volunteering at the show at Birmingham’s NEC.
Abi was lucky enough to spend the week helping to build a show garden.
Deborah Suzanne, from Leaf it to Us landscaping designs, designed her showcase called ‘Slugs and Snails: Making friends with our garden foes’ and had the two slug sculptures crafted.
Abi said: “To say these slugs stole the show would be an understatement – so much so that celebrity gardeners Monty Don, Nick Bailey and Adam Frost, to name a few, had taken a keen interest.
“Monty Don was even interviewed with them for the TV.”
She added, throughout the week, Deborah was made unbelievable offers from people wanting to buy them.
“Hundreds of people wanted to be considered to own them.”
Abi said: “Me and Deborah chatted about our ‘day jobs’ and I shared details about the incredible school that I’m very proud and honoured to work at and our amazing pupils and as an ex-teacher.
“Deborah then had an understanding of what a special school Chadsgrove really must be and her offer was without question.
“She said it felt totally right that they should live in the garden of Chadsgrove’s 2LS classroom.”
Abi said the garden was currently undergoing a makeover to create a sensory garden.
“The snails have become somewhat ‘celebrities’ at school and have taken on the names of Herbie and Marylou from our favourite book ‘Slugs in Love’,” she added. “We can’t thank Deborah enough for her kind generosity.”
